The Dark City
by Hongower
Summary: Xena and Gabrielle go on a jurney to the Dark City with the help of the god of war
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own Xena ok?

Author's Notes:  This story is before Eve, before, India, Before Eli. English isn't my first language so please forgive my spelling, grammar or other mistakes you may find. 

The Dark City

A Fan fic by Hongower

The sun was setting on the horizon as two friends walked through the beautiful landscape of Greece. 

"I'm telling you Xena that we really need to do something about your hair"

"My hair is fine just the way it is" Answered the taller woman as she suppressed the urge to cut her friend in half.

"All I'm saying is that some herbs could help restore it…"

But before the blonde could finish a sentence that would get her closer to her grave, Xena saw a dark figure laying in the path. 

Both of them got closer and discover a blonde girl with blue eyes looking at them. She was covered with blood and her clothes were torn.

"Xena…" The question was left unspoken as she saw the look in her friend's eyes and understood that the strange woman would dye.

"Please… the dark city…I-"

"Don't talk, just rest."

"Help the others… please… the dark city…"

The woman gave them one last pleading look and then she died. 

Gabrielle and Xena decided to burry the nameless woman.

"What do you think she tried to tell us?" Asked Gabrielle as she inspected her belongings and Xena dig a hole in the ground.

"I'm not sure, I've heard legends about this dark city but I really don't know a lot about it. People say it´s a lost city filled with all sort of creatures that capture young women for some mysterious proposes."

Gabrielle only heard half of what Xena said because she was studying a scroll she found in the dead woman's bag.

"I think this is a map" She said without taking her eyes of the scroll. 

Xena stopped digging and walked to Gabrielle so she could also see the map.

"I think this is a map to get to the Dark City" 

"What? Do you mean that what she said was true?"  

"It must be, why else would she have this map?"

"Then we have to go there and help whoever she wanted us to help"

Xena didn't answer; she walked to the woman and started to inspect her body. The woman has cuts in many places, her hands were burned and she had a deep slash in her stomach. The lost of blood caused her death. Xena then noticed a small mark on her shoulder. It was a snake with a sword coming out of its mouth. The same mark was in the map, which proved that what the woman said was true.

"Gabrielle, we are going to the Dark City but I'm afraid we are going to need some help."

Gabrielle didn't have time to ask since Xena immediately started yelling.

"Ares! Ares! Show yourself! I need to talk to you!"

Suddenly the god of war appeared in front of them. 

"You rang?"

"I need your help" Said Xena as she unsheathed her sword.

"You know, usually when people want the help of the god of war they come to my temple and bring offerings"

"Why do they think you live there?"

"Well some of them do but that's not the point. If you want help of the god of war you need to do something for him"

"Come on Ares, you know you can't resist going in an adventure with me… to the Dark City."

"No one can reach the Dark City, the location is unknown"

"Not if you have a map"

Ares tried to take the map from Xena but a sword came through his chest.

"Is this the way to ask for help?" He asked as he looked at the woman holding the sword. 

 "We leave in the morning." Said Xena as she sheathed her sword. "You can go and collect offerings in the mean time."

"Argh, women!" Said the god of war as he disappeared. 

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A.N: I know is really short. Sorry. Should I continue? What do you think? 


	2. 2

The Dark City

By Hongower

A/N: Well here is the second part. I hope you'll like it.

I I

The morning came sudden than expected. Gabrielle was soundly asleep dreaming of who knows what when something hit her face and woke her up. It took her some moments to react and when she finally did, she gave Xena her favorite death glare.

"You are so mean!" She said as she slowly got up from her spot in the floor.

"I tried calling your name…" Said Xena as she prepared Argos for the ride to the Dark City "it didn't worked, I tried slowly shaking you, it didn't work, I tried to tell you that someone was stealing your scrolls it didn't work, so I did the only thing that has proven really effective in the past"

Gabrielle just ignored her, but she was really getting tired of being woken up the same way every single day.

"So, what's for breakfast?" Gabrielle asked as she gathered all of her things in her bag.

"Well let's see… Nothing!"

"Nothing? Come on Xena, we stopped for food in the last village, did we ate all that already?"

"Off course not! What are we pigs?"

"Then why isn't breakfast ready?" Asked Gabrielle as she lost her temper.

"Since you were soundly asleep on top of the supplies bags, I couldn't-"

"Ok, ok, I get the point" Said Gabrielle as she slowly began to prepare breakfast.

They were in the middle of eating it when the god of war appeared behind Xena with a sword in his had. Gabrielle tried to tell her about him but she spoke first.

"So you decided to join us Ares?"

"Well, I can't skip a trip to the Dark City" He said as he sheathed his sword.

"We'll leave as soon as we finish" Said Xena taking another bite of her food.

Ares rolled his eyes and sat beside her.

"Is not like I'm in a rush or something but would you _please hurry up!" Ares said as his patience ran out after spending the last fifteen minutes watching Gabrielle ate a single apple._

"Well he is right" said Xena as she looked at her friend. "We should get going"

Gabrielle got up with the apple still in her hand and she continued chewing it slowly as she walked beside Xena.

"So where exactly is the Dark City?" Asked Ares as he was getting tired of walking.

"You'll se when we get her" Answered Xena.

"Come on woman! This is ridiculous! If you would just tell me where the city is I can use my godly powers to get us there faster! What is the point in walking? I seriously don't know how you mortals do it all the time!"

"The point, Ares, is that I don't trust you and I'll never will. The only reason you are coming with us is because we need your help to enter to the city and you need our help to find it"

"I'm doing this for the goodness of my immortal heart…"

"Yeah right, I know there is something inside the Dark City that every Olympus god wants to have"

Ares just stayed quiet and Gabrielle looked at both of them trying to find some kind of answer. What was held inside that city?

The walk was long. By the time it got dark they were only half way to the city, so they settle up a camp to stay for the night.

"This is _so ridiculous" said Ares as he saw Xena and her fried lightening a fire and searching for a soft spot in the floor._

"What is ridiculous _now?" Asked Xena more annoyed than ever of the god of war._

"I won't sleep here; I have a nice comfortable place at the Olympus, so I don't need to sleep in the floor of some woods!"

"Oh yes you will" Said Xena as she threw a blanket at him. "Just in case you get cold."

Suddenly a tree near by exploded, Ares threw an energy ball to it. He was just so mad.

Gabrielle and Xena laughed while the mighty God of War laid down on the floor and put the blanked around his body. That was a sight to remember.

Morning came and the usual 'wake up' routine followed.

"Come on, If we leave now we'll get there before sunset"

Gabrielle slowly got up but Ares just stayed there in the floor.

Xena trusted her sword in Ares chest and waited for him to open his eyes.

"Good morning darling" he said as he looked at her. "Did we wake up with the wrong foot again?"

Xena hit him in the head as a respond.

"Definitely wrong foot"

The walk that day went smother than the day before excluding the constant complains of Ares about all the nasty things the mortals had to do just to get by. They finally arrived at sandy landscape away from the bushes. It was like a very bid clearance covered only by sand. Xena stopped in front of it and for the first time since their journey began she took the map out of a hiding place between her breasts.

"Why didn't I think of looking there?" Ares asked as Xena ignored him and studied the map.

"So this is it" She said finally. "This is the place."

The three of them looked at the landscape in front of them. It was a clearance, not even a bush or a rock was there, it was completely deserted.

"There is nothing here" Said Gabrielle as she looked around her and finally stood beside Xena.

"This is the place; there is no doubt about it" Xena said to her friend as she kept studding the small dessert.

"Are we sure that the map is real? This could all be just one of your games that you take so much pleasure of"

"Believe me Ares" Said Xena as she studies the map one more time "There is no game I enjoy playing with you"

"Ouch, you are breaking my heart" Ares said as he stepped into the sand and walked around. "But, in the other hand, I think you are right, this is the Dark City."

"What do you mean? There is nothing here" said Gabrielle again.

"Could you please shut the blond up so I can concentrate" Ares told Xena in an irritated voice.

Gabrielle just gave him her death glare but stopped when the good of war flew to the sky and suddenly dived into the sand beneath him.

If she was speechless then, she really became a mute when the sand in the little desert began sinking and clearing the path. Finally, after waiting for just a couple of minutes, they could see a stair case that was in the middle of the clearance, and Ares standing there waiting for them.

"Nice" was the only thing Xena could say as she walked towards the opening with Gabrielle falling closely behind her. 

They walked down the stair case. The place was dark and Gabrielle tripped a lot because she wasn't able to see what was in front of her. Finally she managed to trip into Ares himself and the both rolled down the stairs. 

"You mortals can be co clumsy!" He said as he incorporated of the ground. Then he snatched his fingers and a torch appeared in his hand. He handed it to Gabrielle. "Here" He said and then continued walking down stairs. 

"Th- thank you" Gabrielle said awkwardly as she followed her two companions. She was so grateful for the light. 

The staircase seemed to go on forever. It was caracole shape. 

"I'm really getting dizzy" Said Gabrielle after almost an hour of descending.

"We are almost there" Said Xena as she quickened her walk.

And she was right, because only few minutes latter they were standing in front of a tall golden door with a really big snake crafted in it. There was no handle and it didn't seemed to be a way to open it. Xena stared at it trying to figure out the way to open it. Gabrielle stared at it marveling its beauty and thinking witch description would fit it best. Ares only stared at it.

"So these are the gates to the Dark City"

* * *

A/N: So what do you think so far? I really hope you like it!!!!!

Special thanks to 'L@ugh Øut Løud', without you this fic wouldn't exist!!!!!! Hope you liked this chapter it was longer than the last. I would had continued, but I wanted to leave a cliffhanger, hope you are not mad. ^_^x


	3. 3

THE DARK CITY

By Hongower

III

"Excellent!" Said Xena as she approached the gates. She put her hands in the metal and let them slid through it feeling the texture.

"So how do we open them?" Asked Gabrielle.

"The only way to open the gates of hell is by touching it with mortal hands wet in the blood of a god" Said Xena still looking at the gates.

"So that's why you brought him with us…"

"Does she ever say something remotely interesting?" Asked Ares as he gave his boring look to Gabrielle"

Xena just ignore his comment, as usual, and unsheathed his sword.

"Give me your hand Ares"

Ares did as he was told and Xena slashed his hand. Gabrielle looked at the hand but nothing happened.

"He is not bleeding" She said.

"Another *clever* deduction." Responded Ares "Are you always this shrewd mortal blonde?"

"Gods don't bleed Gabrielle, that's why I brought this" Said Xena as she took a strange object from her boot. It was some kind of white powder. She took some of it out and put it in Ares hand. A few moments latter his hand started bleeding.

"Ouch! That hurts, is this what you mortals call pain?"

Xena didn't bother to answer; she just spilled some of his blood in her hand and then put her hand in the gate. Suddenly they heard a loud noise and the tick gates began to slowly open. They froze and just stared at the view the doors finally let them see.

_"It was as beautiful as anything they had ever heard existed, as elegant as the __Olympus__, as peaceful as the Elysian Fields and as big as the moon."_

"..elle!!!"

"Gabrielle!" 

Gabrielle blinked and joined the world again. She would have to remember that sentence so she could write it in her scrolls, that was if she ever got time and if Ares would stop bothering her.

"Gabrielle don't stand there, we are going into the city"

As soon as they crossed the gates they closed behind them with another loud noise.

"So I guess we are trapped in here" Said Ares as he put his arm around Xena's shoulder. "We might as well make the best of it"

Her response was a kick in the ribs and a sword in the chest.

"Though luck" Said Gabrielle as she passed beside the god of war and the laugh loudly.

Bad idea. The god of war had an energy ball ready to shoot at the insolent mortal when she hid behind Xena. She defiantly showed him her tong and then walked and talked to her best friend.

"I'll get you; you can't hide behind her forever!"  

 And that's how the powerful god of war got a mission that was even more important than the Dark City, he was at war and his opponent was a small, insolent and clumsy blond mortal that went by the name of Gabrielle.

A/N: I don't know where did that come from, I think the plot is twisting but… I hope you liked it anyway. Sorry if it's too short. At least I wrote something and that sounded like a nice ending sentence. ^_^x   ***** 


	4. 4

A/N:  Like my new Xena drawing? Ql°-°l   Ok you can laugh now…  The Q is suppose to be her hand holding the Chakram… Really, stop laughing… Well, at least read the story… hope you'll like it… Enjoy! 

IV

Even if Ares had a new mission in mind he couldn't forget that they had finally reached the Dark City and that they were about to enter a place a few mortals and immortals had been to.

He walked behind Xena and Gabrielle, always watching the blond with a suspicious eye… but what could he ever do with her standing so close to Xena? Yes he was the god of war, powerful and mighty and handsome but he had one weakness, he was afraid of the warrior princess, it was hard to explain, but the fury of the destroyer of nations was enough to send him right back to the Olympus. Ares looked at the two friends talking in front of him… and that was why he loved her.

The city opened up in front of them and they looked at it with astonished eyes.

"It's so dark!"

"An yet the bright blonde woman surprises us with another wise observation" Said Ares as he reappeared the torch so they could see the city they had just walked in.

The city was big and beautiful. Marvelous statues and buildings decorated it. It had everything any city would desire bridges, pillars, roads, and much more. There was only one little tiny minor problem… the city had no light and everything was black.

"How do people see?" Asked Gabrielle as she contemplated the city.

"They don't" Said Xena "The habitants of the city are neither human or gods, they are a strange breed that has hunted this place since the beginning of days. Those creatures are hurt by the light of day, they are able to see in the dark but normal light hurts them, that is why the city is completely black.  They are said to perform many rituals and have many treasures, gold, precious stones, magical elements, ambrosia and even rarest stuff.."

"What are this rituals you talk about?"

"Nobody knows for sure, but some even said human sacrifices and that sort of things… I think maybe that woman we encounter was held  hostage here with some more and she somehow managed to escape."

"How could some one escape this place if they cant see?"

"I don't know"

"And how are we suppose to find the other girls that are here? Xena, do you know where to start?"

"We'll just have to look for them"

"It's not that I'm suggesting anything" Said Ares as he leaned into a column "but maybe we can try to find the treasure chamber as we look for the mortals, you know, now that we are here and all?"

"It was to figure that you only came here to get some treasure" Said Gabrielle in a preaching tone.

"It was to figure that the puritan blonde nerd would have a problem with it" Said Ares without moving a bit.

"It's just that we are trying to help people not get some treasure…" The rest of the words Gabrielle had to speak were lost as her voice mysteriously disappeared.

The god of war laugh loudly as Gabrielle tried in vane to speak or maybe demand her voice back.

"Ares" Was all Xena had to said to make the mighty and powerful god of war give the small and complaining mortal her voice back..

"… and the world would be a better place if only people like…"

"Are you sure this was a good idea?" Asked Ares as he tried to ignore the loud and preaching words of the annoying mortal.  

Xena only ignored him as usual and kept walking into the city inspecting every building and trying to figure out where the captives could be. 

Suddenly  they were turned into pin balls and they forever bounced in the stairs of the dark city.

The End.

(Ok, ok just kidding, please don't kill me… forget the last sentence… on to the story)

Suddenly the torch the lighted the city disappeared and they stood in the darkness waiting for something to happen and it did.

TBC…

A/N: Evil cliffhanger I know… but that at least would make you look forward for the next  chapter and maybe, just maybe give me a review. I'll give you a hint… I work faster if I get reviews….  ^_^x


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